Information on this black colored variation of the common Crystal Red Shrimp.

Wine Red Shrimp

Information on this Red colored variation of Taiwan Bee Shrimp

Shadow Panda Shrimp

Information on the Shadow Panda variation of Taiwan Bee Shrimp

Panda Shrimp

Information on the Panda variation of Taiwan Bee Shrimp

Black King Kong Shrimp

Information on this black colored variation of Taiwan Bee Shrimp

Blue Jelly Shrimp

This is a bright blue Neocaridina shrimp bred from blue rili shrimp.

African Filter Shrimp

Information on this large filter feeding shrimp from Africa.

Amano Shrimp

Information on this very popular shrimp. Its name comes from Takashi Amano, the creator of ADA, who used these shrimp for algae eating purposes. It cannot breed in pure freshwater.

Bamboo Shrimp

Information on this wild caught species which is a filter feeder. It is very common to find in most pet stores and online. It is not possible to breed this species in pure freshwater.

Black Tiger Shrimp

Information on this elusive all black color variation of the common Tiger Shrimp. Its all black coloration is from selective breeding to widen the black stripes of the common Tiger Shrimp.

Blue Bee Shrimp

Information on this newly introduced species to the hobby. Not much is known and they are caught in the wild. Captive breeding is possible.

Blue Pearl Shrimp

Information on this beautiful blue colored species of the wild N. zhangjiajiensis shrimp.

Blue Tiger Shrimp

Information on this blue coloration variation on the common Tiger Shrimp. It is expensive and sometimes hard to find.

Tangerine Tiger

Information on the Tangerine Tiger Shrimp.

Super Tiger Shrimp

Information on this variation on the common Tiger Shrimp. Easy to keep and a beautiful shrimp

Cardinal Shrimp

Information on the very popular shrimp from Sulawesi Indonesia. Its colors are awesome.

Crystal Red Shrimp

Information on this extremely popular, difficult, expensive, and complex shrimp species. Selectively bred for coloration and other features.

Dark Green Shrimp

Information on this beautiful dark green colored shrimp. Its eggs are a nice lime green which really make this shrimp stand out. Its true scientic name and genus are in question.

Ghost-Glass-Grass Shrimp

Information on this wild caught and extremely cheap freshwater shrimp. It carries many different names and can be found in most pet stores. It is considered a feeder shrimp for freshwater aquarium fish.

Golden Bee Shrimp

Information on this all white relative of the Crystal Red Shrimp, Bee Shrimp, Orange Bee Shrimp and others. It is nicely colored but little is known as to its origin.

Harlequin Shrimp

Information on this specific species of shrimp found in Sulawesi Indonesia.

Malaya Shrimp

Information on this newly introduced and soon to be common species of shrimp.

Neocaridina Heteropoda Shrimp

Information on this wild caught grandfather of the selectively bred species Red Cherry Shrimp and Yellow Shrimp. There may be other selectively bred color variations unknown to the hobby at the moment.

Orange Bee Shrimp

Information on this wild species and the grandfather of the Crystal Red Shrimp, Bee Shrimp and others. Can be rare and hard to find.

Orange Sakura Shrimp

This is a color morph of the common Neocaridina species Red Cherry Shrimp

Rili Shrimp

This is a color morph of the common Neocaridina species Red Cherry Shrimp

Purple Zebra Shrimp

Information on this wild caught species. Unfortunately it cannot breed in pure freshwater and has slowly disappeared from the hobby as a result.

Red Cherry Shrimp

Information on the most common and most popular shrimp in the hobby. This is the ultimate beginners shrimp and most hobbyists begin with this species before venturing into more difficult/expensive shrimp.

Fire Red Shrimp

This is a variant of the Red Cherry Shrimp, it is bred for a deep red color and has several grades.

Red Tiger Shrimp

Information on this red color variation of the common Tiger Shrimp. This color variation is apparently found in the wild and not selectively bred.

Red Tupfel Shrimp

Information on this very rare and almost impossible to find shrimp in the hobby. Hopefully it will someday become more available.

Snowball Shrimp

Information on this beautiful all white selectively bred shrimp. Its name comes from its eggs which are all white resembling snowballs.

Sulawesi Shrimp

A gallery of photos of many different kinds of Sulawesi Shrimp from Indonesia. Newly introduced to the hobby in late 2007.

Tiger Shrimp

Information on this somewhat common shrimp. It is the less rare variation than its cousins: Blue Tiger, Red Tiger, Golden Eye and others.

White Bee Shrimp

Information on this elusive and very rare species of Bee Shrimp. It is definitely a cool looking shrimp.

Yellow Shrimp

Information on this selectively bred shrimp from the wild N. Heteropoda species. It breeds very well.

"Cambarellus montezumae" Crayfish

Information on care and breeding of this crayfish species.

"Cambarellus patzcuarensis" Crayfish

Information on care and breeding of this crayfish species.

"Procambarus acanthophorus" Crayfish

Information on care and breeding of this crayfish species.

"Procambarus allenii" Crayfish

Information on care and breeding of this commonly blue colored crayfish species.

"Procambarus clarkii" Crayfish

Information on care and breeding of this popular crayfish species which comes in several different colors.

"Procambarus cubensis" Crayfish

Information on care and breeding of this crayfish species.

"Procambarus enoplosternum" Crayfish

Information on care and breeding of this crayfish species.

"Procambarus sp. marble" Crayfish

Information on care and breeding of this crayfish species.

"Procambarus pubescens" Crayfish

Information on care and breeding of this crayfish species.

"Procambarus spiculifer" Crayfish

Information on care and breeding of this crayfish species.

"Procambarus toltecae" Crayfish

Information on care and breeding of this crayfish species.

"Procambarus vasquezae" Crayfish

Information on care and breeding of this crayfish species.

"Procambarus versutus" Crayfish

Information on care and breeding of this very cool colored species of crayfish.

Apple Snail

Information of the most common snail found in pet stores, the Apple Snail. Are they good or bad for a shrimp tank?

Malaysian Trumpet Snail

Information on the common Malaysian Trumpet Snail. They are great for all aquariums given several reasons.

Zebra Nerite Snail

Information on the beautiful Zebra Nerite Snail.

Pond Snail

Information on the common pond snail. They are not bad snails and are in fact good for any kind of tank especially shrimp-only tanks.

Ramshorn Snail

Information on the Ramshorn Snail including the different color variations and population control.

Sulawesi Snails

Photos of the various species of Sulawesi Snails. There are more species than are pictured as well.

Aegla sp. argentina

Species Info on care and breeding of this non-crab, non-shrimp creature.

Go to Planet Inverts Home

Return to the homepage for news and update information.

Visit the Planet Inverts Forum

Great online community to exchange information and communicate with fellow hobbyists.

Visit the Planet Inverts Store

Buy Shrimp, Snails, Crayfish and more.

Visit the Photo Gallery

Awesome Macro Photos. All photos are 1024x768 for desktop backgrounds.

Contact Planet Inverts at: planetinverts@gmail.com

Acclimating New Shrimp:

Information on how to properly acclimate your newly arrived shrimp to your tank.

Are Hydra Harmful to Shrimp?

Information on the unwelcomed Hydra in the freshwater aquarium including ways to prevent and remove them.

N. zhangjiajiensis: It's colors

Information on this wild species and the many selectively bred color morphs that have evolved from it.

Packing a Winter Shipment

Information on how to successfully pack shrimp for a wintertime shipment. Keeping the shrimp warm is very important.

Red Cherry Shrimp Hatching

A rare photographic glimpse of a baby Red Cherry Shrimp hatching from an egg.

Information on the N. Palmata

The orange coloration is actually the shrimp being infected with Acanthocepala.

Artificially Hatching Eggs

Information on how to successfully hatch isolated eggs. Great method if you have a pregnant female die who has eggs.

Breeding Softwater Shrimp

Information on how to successfully breed shrimp that require soft water. Tips and advice from user Kenshin.

Babaulti Shrimp: Mislabeled

Information on how the Babaulti Shrimp variety is commonly mislabeled as different types of shrimp which vary in color. Good to know.

The Crystal Red Shrimp Grading Guide

Information on grading the Crystal Red Shrimp. Includes information on how to identify specific features and what makes the grade.

Do-It-Yourself Shrimp Trap

A how-to for making a homemade shrimp trap. Instead of chasing your shrimp with a net, let them do the work themselves.

Is it safe to dose fertilizers in a shrimp tank?

An article about dosing fertilizers in a tank with shrimp. What is too much? What will kill them? Is it ok?

Are the shrimp naturally colored or dyed?

An experiment conducted to see if imported shrimp are naturally colored or dyed by the supplier. Great article.

Safe Tankmates for Shrimp

Information regarding what tankmates are safe for shrimp and what will definitely eat your shrimp. Very important.

Setting up a Shrimp Tank

Information about setting up a new shrimp tank including details on exactly what should and shouldn't be used. Great info for beginners.

Shipping Inverts

General information about shipping inverts. Proper packaging, insulation, heatpacks, etc. Great info for all hobbyists.

Shrimp and Leaf Litter

Information about using leaf litter in a shrimp tank. Do shrimp do better with leaf litter? What leaves to use?

Shrimp Myths vs Truth

What is true and what is false about shrimp keeping and everything related to the hobby. There are a lot of false statements out there so it is important to quell them.

Shrimp Rack Journals

Two journals on setting up a shrimp rack for keeping multiple tanks using smaller space. Great tutorials with both journals by both Ryan and Pedro.

Sulawesi Expedition

A Journal on the expedition conducted by Mimbon Aquarium from Germany. Photos and information about Sulawesi Indonesia as well as underwater photos of the habitat.

Water Change in the Winter

Great information by Kenshin about changing the water during wintertime. You do not want very cold water to shock the shrimp. This is a great article for those in cold weather climates.

What is that bug in my tank?

Information on the many creatures found inside a tank including planaria, hydra, and many others. Superb article by Satu in Finland.

Will these shrimp interbreed?

Information about what shrimp are ok to house together in the same tank, and which ones will interbreed creating a hybrid. Great chart for easy comparision.

Why ship young shrimp?

Information about why it is better to ship young shrimp and why it is better to buy young shrimp vs adults. Size is important when introducing shrimp to a new tank.

Awesome Close Up Photos!

Great photos submitted by our members. Definitely worth a look.

Invert Tank Gallery

Great Invert Tank Photos from our members. Great looking tanks.

Photos by Peter Maquire

Awesome macro photos by Peter Maquire. These are some of the best out there!

For the Newcomer: Starting

Information for the newcomer to the hobby. How to start, what to use, what not to do.

Why Shrimp? An Editorial

What is it about shrimp thats makes the hobbyist love them so much? Great editorial.

So you want to raise Shrimp?

Great editorial on gaining knowledge before you even start keeping shrimp.

Low Tech Macro Photography

Quick tutorial on taking macro shots with a simple everyday camera and not professional equipment.

If it isn't broke: Don't fix it

An Editorial on why sometimes its best to let things stay the way they are.

Aquatic Inverts: An Overview

A great Article on the common invertebrates found in the Freshwater Aquarium Hobby.

Red Cherry Shrimp Molting

Another great photo series from Peter Maguire featuring a Red Cherry Shrimp molting.

Planet Inverts Sitemap

Navigate the entire site on a simple page.

Neocaridina Denticulata

Information on this wild variety of shrimp from Taiwan.

Planet Inverts Video Archive

Newly added videos of shrimp, snails and more.

About Planet Inverts.com

Just as the title says...

Red Goldflake Shrimp

Another one of the cool looking shrimp from Sulawesi.

Brown Camo Shrimp

Another one of the Sulawesi Shrimp with a unique "camouflaged" coloration.

Orange Delight Shrimp

Another one of the Sulawesi Shrimp with a unique orange coloration.

Horned Nerite Snail

A beautifully colored nerite snail with unique appendages.

Tracked Nerite Snail

A red-orange colored snail with "tracks" running along its body

Zebra Nerite Snail

Information on the beautifully striped Zebra Nerite Snail.

Ninja Shrimp

Information on this rapid multi-color changing "Ninja". Many colors including black, red, brown, and more.

Shrimp Reproduction

An explanation of the reproduction cycle of a Freshwater Aquarium Shrimp.

Killing Planaria and Hydra

Use Fenbendazole to kill Planaria and Hydra without harming your Freshwater Aquarium Shrimp.

Natural or Artificially Colored?

Natural or Artificially Colored?

Sometime back Ben made a post about a couple types of natural foods that were designed to enhance the coloring of shrimp, fish, etc. To make a long story shorter; I ordered some of the Naturose Natural Astaxanthin as well as the free sample of Algamac-ARA. These are refined natural products, not dyes, as I would not even think of trying to "dye" my shrimp....

I have tried the Naturose and my shrimp love it and I ended up mixing some in some home made food for my shrimp. This stuff does as it says and my red shrimp are redder, blue tiger shrimp bluer, CRS really solid white and red, and all the different species of shrimp I raise really colored up very nicely, but one thing very interesting happened as well.

My Yellow Shrimp turned BLUE GREEN:

Should look like this

This picture was taken about 2 weeks ago after feeding 2 or 3 days and I also stopped feeding these shrimp Naturose at that time as you can see they are quite blue green. They are now almost back to their normal color and within another week I should have yellow shrimp again.

Heck I even called the fellow I got the shrimp from about it... Can you imagine someone calling and asking if your yellow shrimp have ever turned blue?

This is what is interesting to me after actually seeing this first hand as we have all heard of dyed shrimp and this seems common with some blue varieties of shrimp especially. Well here is an accidental feeding experiment that produced a color change I consider as quite extreme in ALL my yellows not just one or two.

So I am thinking perhaps it is indeed food used by some sellers to turn their shrimp blue and this would also explain why after several weeks or months they fade as well as not producing blue offspring. Naturose mentions at their site and in instructions that the effect is not permanent as well.... Lucky for me.

If it can be done with natural foods then coming up with a artificial food type dye would not be all that difficult. I know this is the agreed suspect method used to dye shrimp (food) but here I came across accidental proof (for me anyway).

There are only a couple shrimp that are actually breeding blue like the Blue Pearl Shrimp and Blue Tiger Shrimp and actually have blue young. Then you have the host of "Blue" varieties that show up at auction sites that buyers report to be "Dyed". I am curious as to how blue they actually would have gotten, but not curious enough to try it again as I like them yellow.

Just thought to share as it seemed pretty interesting to me...

Bill

02.06.08

Update.....

After a couple weeks or so my Yellows are almost back to normal:

Interesting accidental experiment.....

I am not sure the molting actually was the key to changing color back to yellow as some changed back without molting. At first I thought it had something to do with it, but now think it a coincidence. Some females even had green eggs as well as some having green saddles. The berried females seemed to stay blue green until delivering young then molting then slowly turning yellow again. A couple are still not fully back to normal but for the most part are all yellow again, but the ones saddled at the time of the change to blue green now are carrying light green eggs.
All the young born of the others are showing the normal yellowish tint you would expect.

Both sexes changed color, but the females were indeed affected more and took longer to regain their Yellow color and some (2) females are still quite blue although obviously changing.

This was a very interesting learning experience about the ability of food to influence color. As far as if the coloration was in the body tissue or exoskeleton I would not have a definite answer. My theory at this point would be that the astaxanthin was able to physically change the natural color as long as the shrimp ingested it replacing Yellow with Blue Green. As to how or where the actual chemical change happened I have no clue.

There was a young man from China saying he is able to catch a blue species of shrimp from a natural spring in his country but after living in captivity they lose the blue color. So this makes me wonder if in his case it it minerals in the water? Or perhaps something in their diet in the spring environment that they eat causing the blue coloration. The two cases seem similar although unrelated. I am guessing (only a guess) that this is too food related, perhaps the algae they are eating? After all a specific type of algae is also the source of Astaxanthin used in Naturose.

Perhaps the blue shrimp you see for sale are indeed naturally tinted by diet and lose color due to a missing nutrient and were not purposely dyed....

This is very interesting and I almost wish I had the time and resources to experiment more by trying to re-introduce the blue into some of these shrimp that fade weeks or months after purchase. If anyone out there has purchased such shrimp that have lost their blue I'd be glad to send a small portion of Naturose and see what happens...